- Date
- October 11, 1997, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oceana, VA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64507Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 15, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971011037029A
- Case key
- 28262
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Improper flare by the pilot, which resulted in a hard landing. A related factor was the diverted attention.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that when he was on final approach to land, his three year old daughter seated in the right rear seat, got out of her seat, and he was distracted. The airplane touched down hard, which buckled the fire wall. He said there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane, and the accident could have been prevented if his wife had sat in the back with his daughter.
Factual narrative
On October 11, 1997, at 1000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N64507, was substantially damaged when it touched down hard during landing at NAS Norfolk/Chambers Airport, Oceana, Virginia. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local, personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he took off for a local flight. As he turned crosswind, his three year old daughter seated in the right rear seat, began to cry. His wife in the right front seat was unable to comfort her. He then radioed the tower, and requested a full stop landing.
During final approach to land, his daughter tried to get out of her seat, and he was distracted. The airplane touched down hard, which buckled the fire wall.
The pilot said there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane, and the accident could have been prevented if his wife had sat in the back with his daughter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64507
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265267
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Norfolk Navy Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 1997
- Departed
- NGU
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NGU · Nas Chambers, runway 1, 8,369 × 200 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,315 total · 10 in this make and model · 436 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.